Hiring web developers is not an easy task. Care must be taken when choosing the best candidate. Here are some tips for hiring a web developer.
In the digital age, having a website is essential for success in the industry. Modern commerce is saturated with competitors. And brands with an online presence are the ones that stand out the most. In 2020, there were already 17.4 billion active websites, and this number continues to grow thanks to increasing investments from companies. The competition is fierce.
But the positive side is that technology also opens up new avenues for innovation and greater business reach. We discussed the importance of technology in business in more detail on Startup Hustle TV.
The Growing Demand for Hiring Web Developers
With the increasing number of businesses, websites are increasingly in demand for their creators. The demand for web developers is higher than ever and is expected to increase even further over the next ten years. If you’re planning to grow your startup, now is the perfect time to build your development team. There’s already a shortage of IT professionals in the United States; that’s why it’s important not to miss out on opportunities. That said, it’s crucial to find a competent and efficient web developer. Here are some tips for hiring web developers.
Recruiting/Hiring Web Developers
When hiring developers, it’s important to prepare a few things in advance. Here’s a checklist of what you should organize before you start recruiting.
1. Define Your Goals
As a startup founder, you don’t need to master all the technical aspects of web development. However, you play a crucial role in the process. It’s up to you to make your web development team’s job as simple or complicated as possible.
First, you need to define your goals and clarify what does a web developer do in the context of your project. Do you need a website from A to Z? Do you want to add new features to an existing site? Or perhaps rethink its look and feel? Be specific about the project’s objective so your web developer knows exactly what changes are required.
2. Set Your Budget
What’s your budget? Web development can be expensive depending on the scope of work, especially when you factor in web developer charges. It’s important to understand how much does it cost to hire a web developer while considering the cost of tools, equipment, and, most importantly, labor. Development tools, premium subscriptions, and hardware can all add up, not to mention unforeseen expenses.
The most effective method to not blow overspending on a project is to research in the average price to put up a site. Consider all your options for building a website, web hosting, and so on.
Next, they can compare them with those that fit your budget. Please note: it is not a precise estimate. You know that quite a bit can change, particularly with their input. Although, you should have already set a budget in advance.
3. Determine Your Salary Offer
A web developer’s salary depends on their skills, experience, specialty, and the size of the proposed project. Keep in mind that a senior developer will cost almost twice as much as a junior developer. However, it’s necessary to have at least one senior developer leading your team. An experienced developer will be able to resolve the inevitable issues associated with development.
The kind of developer you choose to recruit will also affect salary. You can opt for a freelancer or a dedicated full-time employee. Again, this will depend on the scale of your project. Freelancers are ideal for creating a website that requires little maintenance, while a full-time developer will ensure long-term maintenance.
Finally, think carefully about how you will negotiate your contract. The most popular ways to make payments are as follows:
- Hourly rate: Payment by the hour. Ideal for a short-term project. It’s best to hire experienced developers who have quick turnaround times without compromising quality.
- Fixed price: Budget for the entire project. Ideal for projects that can last several weeks or even months. The longer the duration, the greater the risk of bugs, tweaks, revisions, and corrections.
4. Prepare Your Management Team
You must ensure someone oversees the team and its progress. Hiring a project manager is a good idea, especially if you plan to build a large team. Likewise, you must ensure your employees are retained and do not abandon the project.
Therefore, you need an HR team that ensures consistent management of pay and benefits. It forms the foundation of all your operations.
5. List Your Technologies
In addition to your goals, specify the technologies you’ll be using. Web development is broad, so finding the right professionals is key. For instance, if you’re hiring for a front-end role, incorporating targeted interview questions—such as front end developer interview questions—can help you identify the ideal candidate, whether you need a back-end specialist, a front-end developer, or a versatile full-stack professional.
6. Set the Schedule
When should the project be completed? The web developer can give you a more precise and accurate estimate of the project. You can also indicate the desired completion date. If your goal is a specific date, it’s important to specify it from the beginning. Your team will be able to plan more effectively if you provide a calendar of crucial dates.
7. Create your business plan
They would also need to know what type of company it was they were working for. Detail of what you are going to offer will help them to visualize the needs of your website. Your business has a vision and plans for it – your business plan should be able to communicate that to its audience.
8. Create a comprehensive review
Recruiting for a highly technical position is challenging. It’s wise to involve a technical expert or hire a professional to design your exam—which might include well-crafted web developer interview questions or even web programming interview questions—to thoroughly assess each candidate’s coding skills.
Additional Recruiting Tips
Now that we know how to prepare for the recruitment process, here are some tips for finding and recruiting the right candidates.
- Write a clear job description: Specific qualifications will help you effectively filter candidates and save time during interviews. Avoid posting a generic, general job that exposes you to a pool of unqualified candidates.
- Compare rates: Study the average rate for the job beforehand to understand web developer charges and determine how much does it cost to hire a web developer in your market. This approach will help you avoid overpriced offers while also comparing each candidate’s skills and added value.
- Aim for integrity: In addition to excellent coding skills, your candidate must be trustworthy. They will have access to your company and client data. Therefore, you must ensure that the person you hire is reliable and respects confidentiality agreements.
Where to find and hire web developers?
Such a technical position has such a complex recruit. The most practical solution for you, if you are a founder without technical culture, would be to hire the third party software development company. This will make you not bother about things like learning about the web development jargon or analyzing your coding skill.
